Liverpool’s next Mo Salah: ‘Arne Slot has new star right under his nose’
Mohamed Salah is a Liverpool legend.
The Egyptian joined Liverpool in 2017 and has notched 245 goals and 113 assists in 401 matches for the Reds.
He has helped the Anfield outfit to two Premier League titles and a Champions League crown as well as numerous other trophies.
Virgil van Dijk and Salah signed two-year extensions to keep them on Merseyside until 2027, but eventually, the time will come for them to hang up their boots.
Here, Liverpool News looks at who could replace the former Chelsea man from the academy.
The new Egyptian King – Kareem Ahmed
Liverpool supporters have labelled Salah as ‘the Egyptian King’, but they could have another on their hands in the near future.
His compatriot Kareem Ahmed could take his throne when he decides to call it a day, if he continues his current growth.
The 18-year-old has been at the academy since the age of six and earned a scholarship at the age of 16 in 2023.
He started off as a striker, can also play from the right or left, but he is best suited as a number 10, which is where he has starred for the Under-18s.
His career with the Reds started off slowly as he notched two goals in seven matches in the 2022/23 campaign.
The following season, he grabbed four goals and one assist in 15 matches in all competitions.
However, his most impressive campaign was the 2024/25 season, where he struck six goals and bagged five assists in 22 games.
His best display for the academy so far was in a 7-2 win against Middlesbrough back in April when he opened the scoring and provided three assists.
While those numbers are nowhere near what Salah is putting up in the top level of the game, there is plenty of time for Ahmed to develop into a superstar.
He has been getting better every season, and before you know it, he will surely be promoted to the Under-21s.
That is a step closer to the first team picture, and Arne Slot has shown that he is willing to give youngsters a chance to impress.
Liverpool set to keep Ahmed around
The Reds have offered him a new deal as per their retained list, but he is expected to sign onto fresh terms.
That will be a relief as he is a very promising talent who could go to the top of the game with the right coaching and development.
| Stats (All competitions) | Ahmed |
| Matches | 44 |
| Goals | 12 |
| Assists | 6 |
| Minutes played | 2,706 |
The young star is very hard to dispossess and has a habit of being in the right place at the right time in front of goal, which could be lethal if he is given the right opportunities to improve.
Liverpool needs to show Ahmed that there is a pathway to the senior set-up and convince him that his future remains in L4 and not elsewhere.
There have been a lot of changes within the young team in the offseason, most notably Rob Page taking the Under-21s head coach position, but losing Ahmed would be a big blow.
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